Emerald Earrings
by meltina
Summary: During their travels in the Mediterranean, Xianghua and Kilik meet a certain someone...and Xianghua gets off on the wrong foot with her.
1. Default Chapter

Emerald Earrings  
_a Soul Calibur fanfic by Somenosuke._

**Disclaimer:** All characters here are the respectful properties of Namco. Man, if I owned them, do you think I'd be writing fanfics!? 

**A/N: **Thoughts are in italics. But so are stressed words. I think you can figure which is which when reading the story.. 

Part One

In the corner of a room illuminated solely by the bright rays of sunlight forcing their way in through the cracks of a closed window, a mouse happily ate niblets of cheese from a human's palm. 

"There ya go, little fella," the human, a young man, murmured, as if the gray rodent could understand him. 

And if the mouse could comprehend, it wouldn't have heard him what with the snoring emanating from the opposite side of the room. And if that wasn't bad enough, the snoring one also spoke in his sleep. 

"Uhn, yeah, Ro-May, mmhm," the man rolled over onto his side, revealing a stupidly grinning but sleeping visage. "You know what Maxi-chan likes." 

The young man rolled his eyes in disgust. And though he remained tolerant the entire morning, he hoped something would wake that mumbling fool up. 

His prayers couldn't have been answered any sooner. 

A petite Chinese girl burst into their room, beaming from ear to ear, her short chocolate strands bouncing. "Kilik! Maxi!" 

That alone scared off the mouse and woke up the sleeping one, named Maxi. 

"Xianghua, what's wrong?" a worried Kilik asked, getting to his feet. 

"Let's do something today!" Xianghua opened the wooden window panel, brightening the shady room with powerful sunlight. Now Maxi had no choice but to remain awake. 

"Okay Xianghua," he muttered, crawling out of the bed, "let's SHUT UP and let Maxi sleep!" 

Xianghua didn't seem to be affected by Maxi, in fact, she simply regarded him with a flat stare. "Sorry, but you sleep too much," she stated, "and because of that, we hardly make progress in our so-called journey! I'm so bored of this place!" 

The olive-skinned man shrugged his broad shoulders; obviously, early mornings weren't his bag. "So go off by yourself. It's not like Kilik and I need you," Maxi glanced over to Kilik, "isn't that right, man?" 

"Oh no," Kilik shook his outstretched palms defensively, "I'm not siding on this one." He knew better than to side with either companion during their many arguments. 

"Well, I'm going to check out the open-air markets. Hopefully, when I come back, this yolk-brained dolt would actually consider advancing in our trip instead of dreaming about some girl!" 

"Whatever," Maxi mumbled, turning over and dropping back onto the bed, burying his face into the sheets. "Damn broads. Always naggin' and gettin' in the way..." 

Kilik watched Xianghua stomp out of the inn room. Though he knew Maxi was cranky about the interruption of his slumber and that he didn't mean what he had said, Kilik could see the hurt in Xianghua's brown eyes. He thought of going after her. 

"Go," Maxi mumbled, "she seems to listen to you." 

"I thought she was a nag?" 

"Just go!" 

Kilik sighed and began to head out of the inn with his weapon, the long rod named Kali-Yuga. Before he departed, though, he paused and turned to Maxi. "Tell Ro-May that Maxi-chan snores too loud." 

Laughing to himself, Kilik finally left, ducking a thrown boot. 

Xianghua forgot all about that dumb Maxi as she gazed at the gorgeous display of rich and colorful silk scarves and sahris, veils, and footwear. Her favorites were the assortments of precious jewelry. Bracelets, rings, pendants, earrings--everything she loved was there, ripe for the picking. 

_Now if I can move easily through here..._. The crowds at the gathered bazaar were what kept her from labeling the Mediterranean city as Utopia. 

Xianghua squeezed her way through several people as she shimmied sideways, hoping to reach a pair of beautiful emerald earrings that had caught her eye from afar. If not for a robust woman rudely brushing past her, she could have grabbed both earrings. Instead, her delicate digits only grasped one of them. 

Someone else snagged the other. 

Xianghua glanced at the one with similar taste: a young woman about her own age, slightly taller, with almond-shaped brown eyes and russet hair held in a long braid. 

The other girl noticed their grab and looked to her with a polite smile. Xianghua returned the smile though she had no intention of letting go of the earring. And from the looks of it, neither did this girl. 

"Pretty earrings, huh?" Xianghua commented off-handedly. 

"They sure are," the other girl said; and if not for the brilliant sun beating down on her vision with powerful sunlight, Xianghua could have sworn she saw the girl's grip on the emerald tighten. 

That wasn't a good sign... 

Xianghua then turned to the copper-skinned vendor. "How much?" 

"I'm starting at four dinars," he replied, obviously using that merchant tongue Xianghua learned during her travels towards the West. 

"'Four dinars'?" the other girl repeated in disbelief. "You're practically giving them away! What's say I buy 'em for five?" 

To that the vendor smiled. 

And Xianghua's nose scrunched. 

She wasn't about to let some girl wearing a dress outbid her. "Uh, six!" she piped up. 

"Seven!" 

"Eight!" 

The Chinese began to worry. She had only a total of ten dinars with her, which were intended to last her for a good few more weeks, or until she, Kilik, and that fool Maxi made it to the next trading post, whichever came first. 

Were the earrings really worth going hungry for? No, she answered herself in her thoughts. She gazed at the sparkling green gem and gold hoop in her tiny palms. They were so beautiful... So tempting... 

"Mm. I'll bet ten," the strange girl stated hastily, before Xianghua could reconsider her decision to no longer bid. 

The vendor's grin practically reached his ears. "_Sold_!" 

As the vendor and girl exchanged money, jewelry, and gratitude, Xianghua couldn't help but scowl at the victor. "You knew I wanted those. That's why you decided to buy them, didn't you?" 

"No," the girl replied boldly, "I bought them because _I_ wanted them." 

"Oh come off it!" 

"Look, I don't even know you so I'm not going to even bother arguing with you." 

The girl's seemingly patronizing attitude angered the ill-tempered Xianghua even more. "Are you mocking me?" 

"Mocking you? You're not--" 

"Yo! Xianghua!" an exhausted Kilik called out to the Chinese as he jogged his way through the crowds of merchants and shoppers. "I've been looking all over for you!" 

"Why?" Xianghua took her steel-cold gaze off of the girl and focused them on her tawny haired friend. 

Kilik, already not used to seeing Xianghua so angered at anything, couldn't help but wonder if she was still upset about the situation that took place at the inn. "N-nothing. Maxi says he's sorry," he saw her bristle. "Did I miss something here?" he asked, noticing the exchanges of glares between Xianghua and a very pretty Asian girl with long hair. 

"Nothing worth mentioning," Xianghua replied coolly. 

Assuming Xianghua knew this girl, Kilik smiled to the stranger and introduced himself. "I'm Kilik. How do you do?" 

His sharp, hazel eyes followed her every move. First, she gave him a dulcet smile and opened her mouth, to introduce herself; however, her eyes fell on Kilik's Kali-Yuga, and she froze, her smile fading instantly. 

Suddenly and without a word, the young woman turned tail and ran as fast as she could into the opposite direction. A dumbfounded Kilik was left silent with a hand extended to no one in particular. 

Xianghua, relieved to see the girl gone, shrugged. "Oh well," she said dryly, "guess she didn't like you. I'm going sight-seeing. See you later." 

Kilik waved the departing Xianghua off though his thoughts remained on that beautiful girl. Did he do something wrong? Or did she know him? Or... 

Kilik exhaled his breath onto his palm and sniffed it. It didn't smell bad. "What gives?" 

**A/N: **As I've said, this is my first fanfic on fanfiction.net... ^^;; A few notes on the story: first, if you're a Xianghua fan and you feel offended by the way I portrayed her in my story, I apologize. I didn't mean to offend her/you in anyway--it's just my writing. I couldn't think of a Mediterranean city to put as the story's setting, but since I used the dinar currency, you can assume the story takes place in Greece, perhaps? Sorry if that may have confused you. ^^;; Ro-May is--well, she'll be on a fanfic I may post if you's like this story. Part two to this is on its way. 

Please read and review! Believe it or not, your opinion matters! 


	2. Emerald Earrings -- Part Two

Emerald Earrings  
_a Soul Calibur fanfic by Somenosuke._

**Disclaimer:** All characters here are the respectful properties of Namco. Man, if I owned them, do you think I'd be writing fanfics!? 

**A/N: **Thoughts are in italics. But so are stressed words. I think you can figure which is which when reading the story.. 

Part Two 

Seung Mi Na ran and ran until she felt her lungs were going to burst out from her chest. _I'm not going back!_ she thought, over and over again. There was no doubt in her mind that boy with that snob back at the bazaar was someone sent by her father to bring her back home. She was in no mood to return for rigorous training and another unwelcomed marriage proposal were surely awaiting her there. 

The last of her energy was wasted. That escape run took the its toll on Mi Na. She slowed her steps to a halt and leaned against the rugged bark of a tree to catch her breath. Judging from the myriad lush trees and thickets, crabgrass and fallen acorns, she had mindlessly darted into the forests in the outskirts of the city. It didn't bother her. She had camped out here several times, on the scorching days she lacked the money or nerve to pay for a room. This would just have to be another one of those days... 

She slumped to her posterior upon the grass and folded her hands behind her head, and grinned to the music of the larks singing above her in the trees. _There's no way anyone'd find me here_, she thought triumphantly. _Not even that boy can find me. _She found it strange that she had never seen that boy before. And here she was, thinking she knew all of Seung Han Myong's students and associates. _Maybe he's from the Coastal Defense Force?_ No. He was too frail looking. And handsome. Very handsome. 

Mi Na smiled at her thoughts. That smile once again faded like it had earlier, only this time, it was in alarm. Her gloved palm had slid into her pouch in hopes of feeling those lovely green earrings she had purchased. But they were gone! 

Much to Kilik's chagrin, his travelling companions Maxi and Xianghua didn't make any plans to continue their journey further into the Holy Roman Empire. Instead, Maxi chose to spend another day in town to drink and impress ladies, and Xianghua went to see a performing arts exhibition by a group of foreign gypsies. That lackadaisical behavior bothered Kilik; it was as if no one cared about the search for the demonic sword Soul Edge except him. He almost considered leaving them to go on his own, but who was he kidding? They were his _friends._ He needed them. He needed Maxi for his transportation and smooth communicative skills that have gotten them out of countless binds. He needed Xianghua for conversing and straightening out Maxi whenever the South Sea pirate was intoxicated. 

_Guess I'll just have to suck it up... _After separating from Xianghua, Kilik was left in the food market district of the city to eat an early supper consisting of a spicy cake (his local favorite) and a loaf of bread with water. 

"Mister." 

Kilik turned his gaze to a pair of children, both of which were boys. They were malnourished with dirt-streaked faces and hair; donned in tattered rags, they travelled throughout the city on their calloused bare feet. It made his heart sink to think that these two were completely neglected by the locals. Maxi had told him that it's a fate orphans all over the world couldn't escape. "Yeah?" 

"Can me and my brother buy some of your bread? This is all we have," the taller of the two extended a grimy palm, revealing two small pieces of what appeared to be tin. "But we can pay you back." 

"Kid, you don't have to pay me. Here," Kilik handed them the entire loaf of bread, "enjoy." 

The eyes of the children grew large with shock and glee. "Wow! Thanks Mister!" they both exclaimed in unison before the smaller one devoured his broken half of the bread. The taller one mimicked his brother as well, and Kilik watched them, somewhat amused. 

When they were finished, they had thanked him again. "He's nice. Like that very pretty lady with the very pretty dress that gave us the apples." 

_Pretty lady with a pretty dress?_ Kilik blinked. "Hey," he said to attract their attention as they began to leave. "How did this 'very pretty lady' have her hair?" 

"It was in one of those tails that look like ropes." 

A braid. It had to be a braid. A long, thick and shimmering braid of russet. 

"And when was the last time you saw her?" 

"She's at that Gypsy Show." 

"She is? Here," Kilik shoved the remainder of his spicy cake into their hands and began to hastily walk towards the colorful lights, flames, cheering voices and crowds not too far from the food market. 

The orphans beamed with even more glee at their new treat. "Wow! Thanks Mister!" 

A rather large, bald man impressed the gathered crowd by breathing flames. A short haired girl juggled sharp knives while another girl with longer hair read fortunes, gave relationship advice, and danced. Kilik weaved through the crowds oohing and ahhing at them. He carefully looked about for the girl he had seen earlier that day. 

Most of the gathered folk consisted of people with olive skin, dark hair, and were of a much greater height and build than the majority of Asians. The girl shouldn't have been hard to find---she should've been sticking out like a sore thumb but she was as hard to find as a needle in a hay stack. Kilik couldn't help but chuckle at the irony. 

"Hey man, what's so funny?" a very staggering and intoxicated Maxi asked him after jerking him back by the shoulder. 

"Nothing," Kilik sighed in reply. "What're _you_ doing here?" 

"Enjoying the sighs if you know what I mean." 

"Yeah, whatever. Have you seen--" he paused, noticing Maxi tell a tent that it had the best bosom he had ever seen. 

"Nevermind." Kilik turned his attention back to the show at hand. 

And then it was turned to the tell-tale sound of metal clashing against metal. The sound was so crisp and clear that it made the hair on his neck stand, and it shook Maxi into sobriety. 

Then the thought had occurred to him. "Xianghua!" 

"What. Are. You. Doing?" the question was forced through gritted teeth. Struggling, Xianghua applied more of her weight onto the lock between her sword and the larger zanbatou her opponent wielded. She had never in her sixteen years of life battled anyone who wielded such a weapon. She had only heard that they were used in wars to cut the legs off of horses the enemy mounted. That alone made her pray that she would never have to confront someone skilled in the art of using a brutal weapon. 

"You stole my earrings! Admit it!" 

"No I didn't!" Xianghua yelled back at the girl she bumped heads with earlier that day. "I won't even stoop that low!" 

"Stop lying!" 

"I'm not! You're just out of your tree!" 

The sound of Kilik's voice rang throughout the gathered crowd: "Xianghua!" 

"Yo! Xiang!" And so did Maxi's. 

Not wanting to keep her eyes off of her opponent, Xianghua felt rather than saw Maxi and Kilik run up to her side. "Good to see you two here." 

"What the heck's goin' on?" Maxi asked, as he bravely pried the weapons apart without so much as a hassle from either female. They still, however, used their daggerlike eyes to cut each other. The stares made his skin crawl. 

"This..._girl_ thinks I stole something from her." Expecting to hear a sassy retort from the sassy girl but instead hearing nothing, Xianghua looked at her. She saw that the girl once again froze at the sight of Kilik. "What's the matter? Cat got your tongue?" 

"You---" The girl pointed to Kilik. "Who sent you? Was it my father? Or was it Hwang?" She began to take careful backwards steps. 

Kilik's eyebrows furrowed. "Who are they?" he asked. 

"Don't lie to me. You know who they are." 

"I'm not lying. I don't even know you nor have I ever seen you," Kilik replied calmly, trying to not seem harmful. He began to slowly approach her. 

The bladed end of the girl's zanbatou instantly raised, the sharp, cold steel just inches away from his jugular. He knew better than to proceed forth. 

"_Back off_," she demanded, sternly. 

"That girl's crazy! Get away from her, Kilik!" Xianghua yelled above the voices of those around them. 

"Look," Kilik told the girl, lowly, putting his bare hands up, thus dropping his weapon and surrendering, "I'm not going to hurt you." 

"So then what do you want from me?" the girl snapped without lowering her weapon. 

"You said Xianghua stole something from you?" Kilik asked. Despite the fact that his life was pretty much in the girl's hands, he remained absolutely calm. 

"I didn't steal anything!" Xianghua protested. 

"My earrings," the girl said firmly, ignoring the younger girl. 

Kilik blinked. "Are they, by any chance, green?" 

"Yes." The weapon was then gradually lowered as Kilik reached a palm into the pocket of his maroon colored pants. He pulled out two sparkling emerald earrings from within and presented them to her. "You dropped them when you ran off earlier today. And I couldn't find you to return them." 

The girl extended her palms and Kilik dropped the pieces of jewelry into them. She murmured a soft "thank you" to him and spun on the ball of her foot, preparing to leave. 

"Hey. Where are you going?" Kilik asked, halting her. 

She whirled about half-way to face him as she replied: "Away." 

"Aren't you at least going to give me your name?" 

"It's Mi Na." 

Without another word, the girl took off. 

* * * * 

**A/N: **So how do you like it? I know the ending sucked (I had to rush through it).... I have a "sequel" planned for this. Oh yeah, those gypsies were really Eilie, Bolgan, and Rina; I put that in there for fans of Suikoden II, an RPG I absolutely adore. 

Please read and review! Believe it or not, your opinion matters! 


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